With the Paris Olympics, it is the perfect time to refine your palette by savouring all the best delicacies France has to offer. Indulge yourself in flavours that are rich and intense, from satisfying and flavourful coq au vin and flaky quiches to exotic and tender duck meat and wine-based sauces. Every dish has its history and reflects the regional cuisines and traditional methods that have characterised the country for centuries. It is time to let your taste buds enjoy themselves as you discover the joy of French cuisine!
Here Are 5 Must-Have French Food Items:
1. Coq au vin:
This French classic features chicken braised with butter and red wine from Burgundy. Mushrooms, bacon, and pearl onions enrich the sauce's flavour. Initially, tougher cockerel was used, but modern recipes use any chicken, but the traditional method to thicken the sauce involved animal blood, a cost-effective technique. Though stories trace its origins to Julius Caesar's time, it wasn't documented until the early twentieth century.
2. Boeuf Bourguignon:
This French comfort food consists of slow-cooked beef in red wine until tender and falling apart. The meat, mushrooms, onions, and bacon blend in a rich, flavourful sauce. It became popular in Parisian bistros and was adopted as a regional dish in Burgundy, typically using local wine. Though described as traditional, it has appeared on menus only in the past two hundred years.
3. Confit de Canard:
This traditional French dish involves duck, often the leg, cooked in its fat. The duck is salted and baked, resulting in tender meat that easily falls off the bone. Originating from Southwest France, it was invented by the Romans to preserve meat. In the French language, 'confire' means 'to preserve,' reflecting the dish's original purpose.
4. Bouillabaisse:
This is a classic French stew that involves boiling various types of fish like red rascasse, sea robin, and conger. Sometimes hake, monkfish, bream, and shellfish are also included. It is often served with a sauce made with garlic, saffron, cayenne pepper, olive oil, and egg yolk. The dish traces back to fishermen in Marseille, who used rockfish they couldn't sell to restaurants.
5. Quiche Lorraine:
A savoury shortcrust pastry tart filled with eggs, cream, and bacon lardons. It is versatile and can be served hot or cold with various accompaniments. Traditionally, it omits cheese, which was added in the twentieth century to lower costs. The dish originates from the northeast region of France, reflecting its name.
(Anasuya Suji Anil is a student of NIFT)